Load-binder



(No Model.)

H. M. BRADLEY.

LOAD BINDER.

W/T/VESSES y} /NVENTOH I ATTORNEYS THE NORRIS PETEns 00., vnom umownsnmaron, n, c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY M. BRADLEY, OF GAS ON CITY, COLORADO.

LOAD-BINDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 467,363, dated January19, 1892. Application filed May 1,1891. Serial No. 391,192. (No model.)

T0 at whom it imty concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY M. BRADLEY, of Cation City, in the county ofFremont and State of Colorado, have invented a new and ImprovedLoad-Binder, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

. My invention relates to improvements in load-binders; and the objectof the invention is to produce a simple, cheap, and efficient device bymeans of which a load of any kind may be tightly bound, and which isalso well adapted for use as a wire-tightener, postpuller, liftingjackor wagon-jack, and for many other analogous uses.

To this end my invention consists in certain features of constructionand combina tions of parts, which will be hereinafter described andclaimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar figures of reference indicatecorresponding partsin all the views.

Figure 1 shows the application of the device to a load. Fig. 2 is anenlarged detail view of a binder, partially in section, showing themanner in which itis used for stretching wire. Fig. 3 is a transversesection taken through the slotted portion of the handled lever andshowing the manner in which the hook is pivoted to the lever; and Fig. 4is a side elevation of the device, showing how it is used as alifting-jack.

A ratchet-bar 10 is provided with curved teeth on opposite edges, whichteeth have concaved bearing-faces, and with a hook 11 at one end, theopposite end being left blunt, as shown in Fig. 2. This bar extendsthrough a longitudinal slot 12 in the lower end of a lever 13,whioh'lever is provided at its extreme lower end with a hook 14: and atits upper end with a handle 15. A round bolt 16 extends transverselythrough the lower portion of the slot 12 and is adapted to engage theteeth on the under side of the ratchet-bar 10, and pivoted in the upperportion of the slot is a pawl 17, which projects from one side of thelever 13 and is adapted to engage the teeth on the upper side of theratchet-bar, the pawl being held in engagement with the teeth by aspring 18, which is secured to the lever 13 and which presses upon thetop of the pawl. A rod 19 is secured to the top of the pawl and extendsupward and connects with a bell-crank lever 20, which lever. is pivotedat its elbow on the lever 13, adjacent to the handle 15, so that it maybe conveniently grasped and tilted, and the pawl thus raised out ofengagement with the ratchet-teeth. A hook 21 is pivoted loosely on thelower por tion of the lever 13, the hook having two side members 21,which clasp the lever opposite the lower portion of the slot 12, andthese members have shoulders 21 on their inner sides, which shoulderslimit the upward movement of the hook. When the ratchet-bar is inposition in the slot of the lever 13, the pawl 17 will be normallypressed into engagement with the teeth on one side of the ratchet-bar,and this will cause the bolt 16 to engage the teeth on the oppositeside.

The device is used as follows: If it is to be used as a load-binder, asshown in Fig. 1, the hook 11 on the ratchet-bar is secured to one of thespectacle-shaped devices 22, (shown in Fig. 1,) which device consists ofa wire or rope with an eye at each end, and the hook 21 is secured tothe other. The binding-cords 22 are then drawn tightly through the eyesof the spectacles 22 and secured at the corners of the load in the usualmanner. The lever is then moved backward and forward to tighten thecords, which it does in the following manner: hen the lever is thrownbackward, the pressure of the pawl-spring will hold the bolt 16 inengagement with the teeth on the under side of the bar, and when thelever is thrown forward the pawl, by engaging the teeth on the upperedge of the bar, will advance the lever on the bar, the pawl preventingit from slipping, so that the opposite binding-cords will be broughtnearer to gether, and by moving the lever backward and forward on theratchet-bar it will ad vance tooth by tooth until the binding-cords aresufficiently tightened, and the pawl will 5 prevent it from slipping, sothat the load will be securely bound.

\Vhen used as a wire-tightener, the hook 11 is secured to a wire 23,which is attached to a post 24, as shown in Fig. 2, and the hook 21 issecured to the wire 25, which is to be tightened, and then by moving thehandle-lever 13 backward and forward the lever may be advanced on theratchet-bar, as described, until the Wire is sufficiently tightened.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a ratchet-bar which is not provided with a hook,but which is adapted to rest on one end, as shown, and this form of thedevice is adapted to be used as a lifting-jack, wagon-jack, post-puller,or for similar work. WVhen used for lifting purposes-as, for instance,to lift a rock-the hook 14 is secured to a cable 26, which is wrappedaround the rock, the bell-crank is tilted so as to release the pawl 17,and the bolt 16 of the lever 13 will rest in one of the concavebearing-faces of a tooth. Then by pressing down on the handle the rockis raised. If a post is to be pulled, the cable 26 is wrapped around thepost in the same way as it is wrapped around the rock, and then byactuating the lever in the manner described the post may be lifted fromthe ground.

To use the device as a wagon-jack, the hooked end It of the lever isplaced beneath the axle to be raised, the pawl is released, and then bypressing downward on the handle end of the lever the axle will beraised.

It is obvious that the device may be used lower edges and provided atone end with means for attaching a cord or wire thereto, and a leverslotted to receive the ratchet-bar and provided with a bolt extendingthrough the slot to engage one set of teeth of the bar, a pawl forengaging the other set of teeth, and with a hook to receive a cord,wire, or cable, substantially as described. 2. A device of the characterdescribed, comprising a slotted lever having a transverse bolt in thelower portion of the slot, a ratchetbar mounted in the slot of the leverand provided with teeth on its upper and lower edges and with a hook atone end, a spring-pressed pawl pivoted on the lever to engage the upperteeth of the ratchet-bar, and a hook pivoted on'the lever adjacent tothe slot, substantially as described. 7

. HARRY M. BRADLEY. Witnesses:

SAMUEL A. BENTLEY,

CHARLES D. BRADLEY.

